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Nation Newspaper Creates News Based On Unscientific Cellphone Poll

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mia_mottley_owen_arthur
Barbados Nation Newspaper Cartoon – 09 November 2009
Submitted as a comment by Adrian Hinds

Two accepted scientific polls with results unfavourable to Mia Mottley, followed by two questionable polls that are favourable to her. The latter enabled by the Nation newspaper; coincident, or a deliberate attempt to create news rather than report it?

We should remember the 2007-8 Cadres poll that suggested 20-10 victory for the DLP in the 2008 Jan 15 national election. We should remember the counter poll by Boxill that sought to counter Cadres projections and results.

Another Cadres poll with statistics that Mia Mottley does not like so the Nationnews decided to counter or is it contained the results of that poll with a text message unscientific poll and has sought to highlight and publicize the results as if they were or could ever be provable “statements of Facts”.

During all of this traditional media employees are reminding us that they  check and recheck facts.

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131 responses to “Nation Newspaper Creates News Based On Unscientific Cellphone Poll”

  1. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    The revenue making perspective for issuing a TV license was not amongst the original reasons given and that I responded too.
    When I started responding to this question about issuing a TV license to Starcom, the main reasons listed were “the public wants it” “The government benefits politically from not having it” “The opposition suffers politically from it absence” and “the public cannot get balance reporting from government due to the media shutout of the opposition”.
    I refute these arguments by arguing that governments have lost power in spite of owning the only TV station.
    That television is the weakest format of media the others being print and radio, in Barbados in terms of audience for political advertising, government announcement etc.

    The revenue making possibility is a good suggestion, especially or is it specifically in this economic environment. I could sign onto this if the revenue is significant and if as you suggested, the usage guidelines for such a license insist on a specified amount of local programming etc., Both conditions have to be present.

    I take your point that having to purchase something with limited and or restricted use may not be attractive to a private concern, hence the grouping I mention.

  2. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    @David

    Didn’t Obama promise to generate thousands of jobs by launching the Renewable Energy sector?
    Did he promise to withdraw from Iraq in how many months?
    Did he promise to close Guantanamo base in Cuba when?

    The point as you stated above there is a politics before and after an election and to deny is to demonstrate naiveté on the subject 🙂
    ————————————————

    First of David. Obama would have made his promiseS to you and all who supported his candidacy. Not me as I did not. could not let the slide. lol! ….but I do not talk US politics no more, so don’t prod, as I will not respond. 🙂

    That said I take your point, and thanks for understanding what I have said.

    At the end of the term and ITAL is implimented, which it will be; those who goatishly hold on to the delay timing of it being legislated will be ignored. ITAL in 100 day or 5 yrs, is going to be ITAL.

  3. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Dennis

    Well I’m really not certain to what extent gov’t can stipulate conditions as it pertains to programme content. I don’t think any private entity is going to run a TV station where the gov’t practically dictates to them what their programme content should be. Any conditions or stipulations would have to be within the framework of the law, which would apply to CBC as well.

    If I’m going to run a TV station, I must be free to decide on the mixture of my content and how it is presented. It is a business, and I would have to decide how best to make it profitable. A smart business person would know exactly how to arrange programme content so as to appeal to a wide range of viewers at the right time of day. At the end of the day, advertising revenue will be directly linked to the viewership I’m getting.

    I’m willing to bet that the highest number of radio listeners tune in to VOB every weekday to listen to “Down To Brass Tacks”…more than any other radio station at any other time. So it is evident that Starcom Network knows what the people want, and understands the demographics of its listenership. I also believe that Starcom would provide 24-hour local TV progamming, which CBC only talked about doing but hasn’t done up to this day.

    Now let me state for the record so that everybody knows; I am not, and have never been employed by any radio or TV station. I have no connection whatsoever to Starcom Network or OCM. I’m just one of many citizens who believe that we Barbadians deserve to have more than just one local TV channel.

  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Atman sounds like a Starcom Rep trying real hard to make a case for a t.v. license for them.

    Hope they never get one they have not shown themselves recently to be even worthy of their radio license right now.

  5. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    You gave all types of invalid reasons why ITAL had not been addressed by the PM as yet:
    [***He cannot legislate without the constent of those from whom he derives his power. Not only does he need the support of his parliamentary party members he needs it from the opposition.]

    That was a stupid statement to make. It implies that he either did not have the support of his team on ITAL when he made the pre-election promise, or he didn’t seek their support on it at the time.

    I think it would be obvious to readers that you are seeking to provide answers to questions that you cannot answer because you have no idea what you are talking about. You simply to guessing.

    Unlike the promises and time frames that Obama made as listed by you, the implementation of ITAL is not dependent on or affected by any external factors. No major infrastructural requirements are needed…it is simply the auditing of the personal assets of MPs on an annual basis. It only requires going to parliament to be voted into law.

    If the DLP as it said here http://dlpbarbados.wordpress.com/2007/06/10/integrity-legislation-a-step-upward-under-the-dlp/ supports transparency and wants to “clean up” the image of MPs, then this matter should have been dealt as a matter of priority so that it could go into immediate effect. Delaying implementation only raises suspicion by the public on the ruling party, and makes Thompson look like a hypocrite.

    I have heard many people saying, “wuh de BLP teef nuff money, do it is only fair dat de DLP get some too”.

  6. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    My apologies Adrian, it was David who mentioned the Obama promises and not you…so you can scratch my remark pertaining to that mention in my last post.

  7. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    [I refute these arguments by arguing that governments have lost power in spite of owning the only TV station.
    That television is the weakest format of media the others being print and radio, in Barbados in terms of audience for political advertising, government announcement etc.]

    You’ve shown your simple-mindedness again. How can you expect that a gov’t will never lose an election at some point because it has a monopoly hold on local TV? I told you on my blog that there is a big difference between serving 1 term and serving 3 terms, and it is quite possible that controlling the sole TV channel in the country could assist in being re-elected a few times.

    I think you may be surprise at the number of people who stop whatever they are doing or watching, and switch over to CBC to watch the 7pm eveining news. The only reason TV media is not as strong as it should be in Barbados is because of the strangle hold that successive administrations maintain on local TV.

  8. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    oh lord de Atman. got me deadding den. lol!

    That was a stupid statement to make. It implies that he either did not have the support of his team on ITAL when he made the pre-election promise, or he didn’t seek their support on it at the time

    ——————————————-

    It only requires going to parliament to be voted into law.

    =============================

    Let me help you along. So who will vote it into law?????? Thompy by himself? ha ha ha ha ha There is the politics of election and politics after election.

    He did have the support of his team. They all made a promise that may have back peddle on or as he (thompy) has said, the original draft they worked on, had some issues and that is why it is taking so long, or they had hope that people would have forgotten about. Whatever the rationale if it is not implimented before the next election they will have a problem, if they do, they can check ITAL of the accountability list.

  9. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    @ Atman // November 21, 2009 at 5:51 PM
    I did not say anything like your ‘gov’t practically dictates to them what their programme content should be’. Conditions on private use of public domains are quite normal: it’s part of protecting the patrimony. The form is a function of the nature of the domain, and is there in essence in any government’s contract with private entities.

    There are always trade offs, and how such conditions would impact on profit/loss is part of running the business successfully, or not.

    See conditions set recently on commercial television broadcasters in Tasmania to ‘broadcast a minimum amount of material of local significance’, http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310685; this was from a random search for ‘TV broadcast licensing conditions’.

  10. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    You’ve shown your simple-mindedness again. How can you expect that a gov’t will never lose an election at some point because it has a monopoly hold on local TV? I told you on my blog that there is a big difference between serving 1 term and serving 3 terms, and it is quite possible that controlling the sole TV channel in the country could assist in being re-elected a few times.
    ——————————————-
    Government control of CBC TV had nothing to do with the BLP 3 succesive terms. Absolutely nothing, none nada.

    The BLP 3 terms was a watershed event in Barbados electorial politics. It had never happen before.

    CBC was establish in 1960. Was always a government control entity. How many change of governments did we have between then and now?

    A possibility is a just that, It is not a fact, and therefore cannot be use to justify and or substantiate anything.

  11. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    I think you may be surprise at the number of people who stop whatever they are doing or watching, and switch over to CBC to watch the 7pm eveining news. The only reason TV media is not as strong as it should be in Barbados is because of the strangle hold that successive administrations maintain on local TV.
    ==============================

    Prime time television viewership is dwindling. People have multiple sources from which to get their news. They are busier, and have more things with which to occupy their interest and time.

    What is the evening news but a regurgitation of what has occured during the day? news that they would have heard on the radio.

  12. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    @ David // November 21, 2009 at 4:20 PM

    “Commonsense alone spells out that OCM will NOT get a TV license in Barbados.” [What common sense?]

    “Even if we subtract the politics from the decision we can easily replace it with an astute risk assessment decision model . To add the TV channel to the mix of existing OCM chanells in Barbados would contravene acceptable risk given its heavy concentration of ownership currently.”[This argument makes no sense. Or if there is some sense to it, it implies that OCM is at the ‘equilibrium’ point of acceptable risk with its current offering. I do not have any idea how and where you can get that notion, other than to think it to be so.

    This ‘acceptable risk’ notion is also not sensible because the broadcast options that OCM currently has are quite elastic, not some fixed box of products. So, its current media impact is broad and varied and could easily become moreso even without getting a TV license.]

  13. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    This ‘acceptable risk’ notion is also not sensible because the broadcast options that OCM currently has are quite elastic, not some fixed box of products. So, its current media impact is broad and varied and could easily become moreso even without getting a TV license.]
    ————————————————-

    so no TV license?

    Let me introduce another dimension to this debate. Surely Atman needs another angle from which to attack. ha ha lol!

    I have not signed of on this one caribbean notion of nationhood, we are one etc. The way things are playing out I see lot of seperateness, alot of individualism and at expense of each other.
    I am a citizen of Barbados a sovereign state last time I checked. The government of Barbados has a duty amongst other things to protect our culture, our way of life and our borders. Having access to media with which to communicate to the citizens it serves is an absolute necessity. I think the reach that foreign own media houses have in Barbados should be scale back not extended.

    Given the outcry of Barbadians to the current level of foreign owned corporate ownership in Barbados, they may agree with me. lol!

  14. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    Adrian wrote:
    [Prime time television viewership is dwindling. People have multiple sources from which to get their news. They are busier, and have more things with which to occupy their interest and time.

    What is the evening news but a regurgitation of what has occured during the day? news that they would have heard on the radio.]

    As I keep saying, you are sadly out of touch with what goes on in Barbados. I don’t why you continue to debate and make assertive statements on topics that you are really not in touch with. I asked you before and I will ask you again, when when the last time you even visited Barbados?

    First of all, the radio news do not carry everything that the 7pm TV news carries. And secondly, many working people do not get the chance to hear radio news during the day, and many of them do not read the newspapers during the day. There are many bajans who buy a newspaper only on Sundays.

    The only reason I’m taking particular pain to correct you is because I don’t like the idea that you may be misleading other people in cyberland who (like you) are not aware of what is really going on in Barbados.

  15. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    Oh I forgot to mention…as for news via the internet, there are many working people in Barbados who do not have access to computers at their workplacesite. And many who has access to computers are not allowed to browse the net. Also, the Nation and Advocate websites are undated only once every 24 hours.

    When next will Barbados see you Adri?

  16. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    Adrian wrote:
    [Government control of CBC TV had nothing to do with the BLP 3 succesive terms. Absolutely nothing, none nada.

    The BLP 3 terms was a watershed event in Barbados electorial politics. It had never happen before.

    CBC was establish in 1960. Was always a government control entity. How many change of governments did we have between then and now?

    A possibility is a just that, It is not a fact, and therefore cannot be use to justify and or substantiate anything.]

    ___________________________

    What never happened before…a 3 term gov’t or BLP winning 3 terms? I’d like to remind you that Barrow also had 3 terms. You are in no position to definitively say that CBC did not play a role in the 3 terms that the BLP had. Not every fact can be easily proven Adri, that’s why some opinions are just as good as the facts. That’s where reasoning comes into play Adri.

  17. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    @ Atman // November 22, 2009 at 12:52 PM
    Just to put your remarks into another context. I work from home but to be current on news I try to read the local papers only as early as possible. That’s possible for The Advocate, who put the whole daily edition online; but impossible for the Nation, who only put up selected articles.

    I get home delivery but rarely see the papers before 8am (or 10am on Sundays). By contrast, in the UK and US, my paper was at my house by about 6.30am latest every day.

    I am diligent about getting to see the papers, so regard myself as exceptional.

    The papers give the fullest coverage, but are very untimely. Radio news is very patchy and often has little analysis or commentary. TV news is not much better.

    That suggests to me a huge gap in informing people on a daily basis.

  18. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    Adrian wrote:
    [Let me help you along. So who will vote it into law?????? Thompy by himself? ha ha ha ha ha There is the politics of election and politics after election.]

    You never cease to amuse me. DLP won the gov’t 20-10, if he did indeed have the support of his team when he made the promise, where is the problem? Do you see a problem in getting it voted into law unless it was a big empty promise to begin with? You can give him till the end of the year if you wish, but it’s not going to go down way with sensible swing voters.

    In Barbados we know that both parties play the fool, and the only way we can punish them is by taking away power temporarily…alternate between the two.

  19. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    I meant to say you can give him until the end of the term (not year) in my last post. I tend to proof read a bit late.

  20. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    I think I’ve had enough fun with you for now Adri…I’m going back into my little rat hole. You know where to find me if you choose to.

    @everyone
    I have a political forum at my blog as well which discusses politics anywhere it in the world. It’s not very active right now because I find that most people tend to shy away from discussing politics. If any of you should wish to become a member and contribute, you would be very welcome. Here’s the URL:

    http://bajantuhdebone.freeforums.org

  21. Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados) Avatar
    Dennis Jones (aka Living in Barbados)

    @Atman, p64 of today’s Advocate: PM says “It certainly is my desire to see it passed in this current term.”

  22. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    Indeed Barrow had three terms, and I had erred in not defining the time line to be since independence. Barrow’s three terms were as Premier once and Prime Minister twice.
    It could be argued that independence in 1966 won a third term for Barrow in 1971.

    It is more likely to be the case that problems internal to the DLP had a much bigger role if not the only role in handing three terms to the BLP. I have never heard anyone besides you suggest that CBC as a government owned media entity played a decisive role in the longevity of a party in government, and you only introduce it as it as an after thought and as a mere possibility to a point made without substantiation.

    Please don’t talk about reasoning becuase you did not use any. You, in your now familiar fashion blast out point after point, totally unaware and or unuse to providing context.

  23. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Dennis

    His desire to see it passed in the current term is not good enough for me. It should have gone to parliament already, and since it hasn’t, he should be able to say definitively when it will go before parliament. I think it only goes to show that his pre-election promise was simply to get votes.

    @Adrian

    My initial point was that Starcom should be given a TV license. I went to outline why I believe there’s still only local TV channel in Barbados. If that’s not good enough for you…too bad. Catch yuh lata.

  24. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    That should have read:- why I believe there’s only ONE local TV channel

  25. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    Well I will not be following you. If in the future you are looking for somone with which to argue and win. Yuh know were to find me. Make sure to pick a topic that you have a reasonable chance of holding your own with. lol!

    Before you go. Um is your vote to do with as you please, but Thompy provide legitimate proof as to why ITAL was delayed. The original ITAL draft, model the one out of Trinidad. It is widely believe to have flaws in it. In addition to this Thompson thinks that ITAL should have the widest consultation possible. Surely you would like all those who will be made accountable under this legislation to be able to review it.

    Panday in todays trini news says the same Trini accountability laws are flawed.

  26. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    “Make sure to pick a topic that you have a reasonable chance of holding your own with. lol!”

    What altered reality do you live in AH? The man more than held his own and truth be told, made you look like a fool.

  27. Atman Avatar
    Atman

    @Adrian

    Panday would say anything, he would like people to believe that he was innocent. http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/424

    Whether of not the model out of T&T is flawed, is not a legitimate excuse as far as I’m concern. The DLP has been in power for almost 2 years now, certainly that was enough time to come with something useful. Anyway, I hope it will become law before 5 years is up because it is definitely needed.

    I hope it won’t be a situation where he feels confident of re-election when this draws to an end, and decide he could sit on it for a longer period. As a matter of fact the opposition would definitely use it against if he fails to do it before next election.

    I gone for real this time…I may still check back from time to time to see how you’re progressing. lol

  28. Peter W. Wickham Avatar
    Peter W. Wickham

    BU Family, this is a little late, but still relevant to this discussion:

    PEOPLE & THINGS: Not all polls the same

    Published on: 11/25/2009.

    by PETER WICKHAM

    RECENTLY THE NATION published a poll related to the issue of leadership in the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) which suggested that Opposition Leader Mia Mottley was now more popular than the former BLP leader and this survey appears not to be consistent with data presented by CADRES in August of this year.

    It is well-accepted in the business of public opinion research that any poll is a snapshot and depending on the time that this “reading” is taken, the views and opinion can and will change and in this specific instance, I am inclined to believe that such a shift was entirely possible.

    The publication of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP)/CADRES poll appears to have evoked a discussion within the BLP which probably led Mottley to “throw down the gauntlet” and Owen Arthur’s response appears to have angered the rank and file of the BLP; hence it would not be surprising if a poll conducted now were to show that Arthur is actually less popular than Mottley which is exactly what the most recent NATION poll suggested.

    Against this background, this author’s concern has less to do with the poll’s conclusions and more to do with the scepticism that is likely to have accompanied it and the extent to which the NATION inadvertently encouraged Barbadians to compare “apples” and “oranges”. The term “poll” generally refers to any process by which a record of votes is compiled. There are many types of polls and these can range from the legally regulated process that is referred to as an election (on the one hand) to a crudest assessment of public opinion conducted by show of hands in a meeting.

    The NATION and CADRES have partnered in the production of scientific polls since 1991 during general elections and in 2005, 2006 and 2007 the annual September poll was instituted. However, a decision was taken to discontinue these annual surveys and the DLP therefore commissioned a scientific survey in August of 2009 which adhered to a similarly strict methodology.

    In contradistinction, the NATION has more recently been conducting and presenting “Internet” and “text message” polls on a range of issues; however in no instance should these be considered scientific.

    These types of electronic polls are quite popular both here and elsewhere in the world and are of two basic types; solicited and unsolicited. Technically speaking both of these are not scientific, but the unsolicited ones could be considered the less scientific of the two and sadly the NATION is now more partial to the unsolicited variety.

    The simple distinction between the two types of polls is that the former is designed to accurately reflect public opinion, while the latter can reflect public opinion but is often misleading. This causes one to ask what then is the value of an unscientific poll and the answer is simple and related to cost. Unscientific surveys conducted via the Internet are considerably cheaper and text polls can often generate revenue, while a scientific survey is generally a more expensive undertaking.

    Unscientific polls violate one fundamental methodological rule which states that every person in the population has an equal opportunity of being chosen. In surveys of a political nature, the type of bias that unscientific surveys are subject to arises from the inclination of persons with a vested interest to participate and this eliminates those who aren’t motivated enough to participate, but whose opinions are nonetheless relevant.

    Against this background, it is unfortunate that the DLP/CADRES poll was compared to the more recent NATION poll and it is equally unfortunate that the NATION is now partial to these unscientific polls. The NATION has developed a reputation in the realm of public opinion and its surveys are generally accorded some amount of respect because of their record of accuracy. It is therefore not surprising that many persons confuse the NATION’s scientific surveys with the NATION’s unscientific surveys, especially since the NATION does not go out of its way to label its unscientific survey as such.

    The popularity of telephone, Internet and text polling is such that CADRES has frequently been asked to participate in these activities. However, we prefer to avoid the confusion that would be created if unscientific CADRES data were presented and one can argue that it is unfortunate that the NATION does not adhere to similar principles.

    Peter W. Wickham (peter.wickham@caribsurf.com) is a political consultant and a director of Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES).

  29. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Now what would you expect from the Nation with a woman at the helm…! Seriously folks, I have always looked forward to women taking on more leadership responsibility in this unfair land of ours. Some how I anticipated a fresher environment with a more human(e), caring, protective and enabling agenda at the core. Instead we are being served up a main course of unattractive battle cats, armed to the teeth with certificates, and nothing to offer but the scheming, shameless scams of the male dominated boards that they serve and protect. My God, When Arthur decided to surround himself with battle cats, Mottley, Miller, Thompson and sexy cat Eastmond, the die was cast for this new age business model. Producing fraudulent information fades in comparison to sending home long serving staff at the drop of a hat.

  30. David Avatar
    David

    The Starcom network has been a very profitable company over the years, instead of holding tight they send home people, a directive from T&T and sanctioned by its head who is an accountant. This is a stain which will stain its legacy.

  31. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    David

    We need a topic on the image of new the age female senior executive. ..!

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